Drones give us stunning new perspectives for our films, but the video look they produce is often quite unsexy. So how do you grade and perfect aerial video from a low cost drone camera to make the low-bitrate footage look awesome? This was the question I asked myself when I finished my footage from the DJI Inspire 1.
I spent a week filming with an entry level drone to create a stunning drone film. After many hours figuring out how to make the best of the footage I had, I created this 3-part video tutorial on mastering drone footage.
In PART I I talked about How to Shoot Aerial Video Like a Pro. In PART II I talked about Improving Aerial Video in Post.
Here is PART III, where I’ll show you how I graded and perfected the film with compositing.
Part I – Shoot Aerial Video Like a ProPart II – Improve Aerial Video in Post
These are the tips I would have needed when I started shooting. I wanted to get the best out of my drone footage and I didn’t find this knowledge elsewhere.
As discussed in the tutorials, the footage from low-cost drones come with a lot of drawbacks, very highly compressed codecs and low bitrates that make grading very difficult. In my tutorial I’m showing you how to make aerial video look and feel cinematic, how to raise the production value of your project with a few simple steps from shooting to final grading and compositing.
I hope you’ll enjoy these tutorials and they’ll help you get started. All 3 parts of the video series have some essential points I think anyone serious about aerial video can take something away from.
Equipment used
In part I and part II talked about why the DJI Inspire 1 for me is the best value for money low cost drone right now with the upgrade options to the new Zenmuse X5 and X5R cameras for better quality.
The video above was shot without the upgrades on the normal DJI Inspire 1.
I recommend this package:
DJI Inspire 1 (with 2 Remotes)
At least 4-5 Additonal Batteries4-battery charging station
2 smartphones or tablets compatible with the Inspire 1
practice
I do not recommend the hardcase version unless you use this for rental or a large production. The shell-case is perfect, lightweight and roomy and can hold both remotes and 9 batteries! (I got this wrong in my video, there are hidden compartments).
I did not have the high capacity batteries as mentioned above. It must be awesome to have those though. How many should you get? It really depends on how much you’ll shoot in a day.
I did not have the 4-battery charging station. It must be awesome to have it. It will charge one battery at a time overnight. If charging times are the same as the single chargers then it will probably take about 6 hours to charge 4 batteries.
Remember, practice is part of the package. Fly safely, edit tirelessly and grade meticulously. Then let us know what you learned in the process.
If you are interested in my LUT you can download it here.
Helpful Links:
Understanding Lumetri Color in Premiere Pro
After Effects Motion Tracking Tutorial
Music by musicbed.com
Salomon Ligthelm – Bones

Low cost drones have revolutionized the way we think about aerial video, but often the results are easily distinguishable from professional aerial shots. So how do you improve aerial video coming from a low cost drone camera? This was the question I asked myself when I edited my footage from the DJI Inspire 1.
I spent a week filming with an entry level drone and I spent a lot of time figuring out how to make the best out of the footage I had. Here’s the second part of my 3-part video tutorial on mastering drone footage.
Also check out:
Part I – Shoot Aerial Video Like a ProPart III – Grade Low-Cost Aerial Video
These are the tips I would have needed when I started shooting. I wanted to get the best out of my drone footage and I didn’t find this knowledge elsewhere. Here’s how to make aerial video look and feel cinematic, how to raise the production value of your project with a few simple steps.
I hope you’ll enjoy these tutorials and they’ll help you get started. All 3 parts of the video series have some essential points I think anyone serious about aerial video can take something away from.
DJI Inspire 1 compared to Sony FS7 high resolution screenshot
Working with the Inspire 1 drone
I already explained this in part I of the series, the possibilities of the DJI Inspire 1 were really impressive for me, very easy to use, very affordable and very powerful in terms of its ergonomics and the intelligent flight modes. I highly recommend using this drone if you consider going into aerial videography.
The screenshot above shows you the drawbacks of the DJI Inspire 1 camera in terms of image quality in comparison to a Sony FS7 4K image (click open link in new window to see full resolution) as discussed in the video. Fortunately the Inspire 1 camera is upgradable so you can improve it with proper Micro Four Thirds cameras, the new Zenmuse X5 and X5R cameras produce much better quality.
As you can see though, just using the built-in 4K camera opens up a lot of possibilities for low cost shooters. If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to ask.
Fly safely, edit tirelessly and let us know what you learned in the process. Best wishes from Seb at cinema5D.
Helpful Links:
adobe.com on CC Force Motion Blur
adobe.com on Time Remapping
animation in Premiere CC
Music by musicbed.com
Salomon Ligthelm – Bones

Drones. An intriguing new technology for cinematographers! But how do you shoot aerial video with professional aesthetics on a low cost drone and how do you finish the footage? This was the question I asked myself and spent a week attempting to capture cinematic drone footage with a DJI Inspire 1.
I learned a lot in the process and decided to share some valuable tips from shoot to grade. Here are all 3 parts of my video tutorial series on mastering drone footage.
Related article: After the videos
Related article: Part II – Working with Drone Footage
Related article: Part III – Grade Low-Cost Aerial Video
Why another drone shooting tutorial?
Because these are the tips I would have needed when I started shooting. I wanted to get the best out of my drone footage and I didn’t find this knowledge elsewhere. There are lots of technical tutorials out there, but none of them cover how to make aerial video look and feel truly cinematic. And this is exactly what raises the production value of your project and I think really the biggest plus drones offer.
I hope you’ll enjoy these tutorials and they’ll help you get started. All 3 parts of the video series have some essential points I think anyone serious about aerial video can take something away from.
DJI Inspire 1 Drone with Zenmuse X3 Gimbal & 4K Camera
A few words on the Inspire 1 drone
As mentioned in the video the DJI Inspire 1 is really an impressive drone, very easy to use, very affordable and very powerful in terms of its ergonomics and the intelligent flight modes. I highly recommend using this drone if you consider going into aerial videography as it is now also upgradable with the new Zenmuse X5 and X5R cameras that produce much better quality. I think this is really the best value for money right now.
As you can see in my video, just using the built-in camera opens up a lot of stunning possibilities. If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments.
And now fly safely and then let us know what you learned in the process. Best wishes from Seb at cinema5D.
Helpful Links:
inspirepilots.comflysafe.dji.com
Music by musicbed.com
Salomon Ligthelm – Bones